500Eboard - Off-Topic Discussionshttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/
enTue, 26 Sep 2017 20:04:27 GMTvBulletin60http://500eboard.com/forums/images/misc/rss.png500Eboard - Off-Topic Discussionshttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/
http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11780&goto=newpost
Tue, 19 Sep 2017 19:53:32 GMTI'm not sure where to put this thread because the classifieds section seems to be limited to the V8 W124's which this is not. It's a pretty rare and unusual car in the US however so I thought I would post it here in case there is some interest.

The car is a 1990 300SL-24 with a dog leg 5 speed manual. Engine sounds great, transmission shifts great but the car itself is pretty banged up. I bought it to restore but am losing interest in projects as I get older (I just want to drive them these days) so I am thinking of letting it go.

Driving around: https://youtu.be/atXLo1y2GGU
]]>Off-Topic Discussionsalabbasihttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11780The Ideal Carhttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11777&goto=newpost
Mon, 18 Sep 2017 12:55:20 GMTThe following was sent to me via email by the PO of my E500. It was written by Peter Bourassa from Motorsport Marketing Resources (MMR)...The following was sent to me via email by the PO of my E500. It was written by Peter Bourassa from Motorsport Marketing Resources (MMR) (www.motorsportmarketingresources.com). Enjoy!

The Long Way 'Round Part 3

The Ideal Car

Before determining which car would be best for a cross country trip, best to determine which route the trip will take. There are only two. The red routes, Interstates of America, or the road less taken along the blue routes through the country of America. I was forced by time to take the reds primarily but for a great story about the options I recommend Blue Highways by William Least-Heat Moon.

My route was important to me. I traveled across the country as quickly as possible and yet in pre-determined places I eschewed the shortest path in order to meet with people who were, in essence, the reason for the trip in the first place. Life is a compromise and so are many of the roads we choose to travel.

The differences between a Sports Car and Grand Touring car are not subtle. Originally, "sport" cars were stripped down touring cars. They evolved into cars to terrorize neighborhoods, tame the roads, and compete in the early races, hillclimbs, and rallies. Good handling, fast, and with minimal comforts they were the "sporting" cars that in some cases evolved into purpose-built race cars. Sports cars were never intended for long trips. Though several sports car manufactures produced "GT" designated models, most were little more than fastback versions of their open sports car.

Grand Touring cars were the compromise between the powerful and comfortable family sedans and the sports car. Never intended to participate in competition, the Grand Touring cars were nonetheless powerful and configured for only two people and minimal luggage. They were primarily a European concept. In the sixties, Italy was transfixed by a terrorist organization known as The Red Brigade. Italy's capitalists feared being kidnapped and then being ransomed or killed. Gianni Agnelli, head of the family that controlled Fiat and Ferrari, was a prominent and visible business leader and part of the sixties nascent "jet set" crowd. As such he was a prime target. A popular fiction was that every day he would choose a different Ferrari from the fleet and drive a different route to a different and suitably secluded inn where he would leisurely dine and wine and subsequently bed "his" or "a" mistress. A concept which Itlian men found tremendously appealing. Though likely apocryphal, Agnelli did little to deny the story or dissuade its dissemination. And so a fiction about relatively small and very fast comfortable cars, such as the Ferrari, Aston, Jaguar, and the Mercedes 300SL became romantically linked, not with race car drivers, but with international, industrialists and titled nobility of every rank and whoever else could afford the tariff.

Generally fast, quiet, and comfortable, a GT car would have been ideal for our trip. Oddly enough, the most recent GT iterations focus far too much on race track like performance characteristics for our taste, kidneys, or lower back. Were we taking the blue highways, we would certainly consider older cars such as the previously mentioned GT cars, and also newer cars such as the BMW M6, the Mercedes 560SL, Ferrari 400i, and Jaguar XJ12. All comfortable and interesting. What's your opinion?

Ferrari 400i

The ultimate modern dream tourer has to be the Bentley GT. Yet, I spoke with an owner of such a car who suggested that the car is simply too big. He thought an 8/10 version would be perfect. Another suggested that the ride is too stiff but also admitted that any car capable of such high speeds needed a stiff suspension to prevent it wallowing at over the 180mph + speeds for which it is rated.

In our case, we were traveling the "red" roads and while the 308 is only marginally comfortable for the interstates, it is too heavy to be a successful race car and not comfortable or roomy enough to be a proper Tourer. It suits my purposes, but it was hardly ideal for this trip.

Oddly, in 2004, my friend Bob Hatch and I and two enthusiast friends attended a Jim Russell Driving School at Le Circuit Mt.Tremblant in the Laurentian mountains. The track is about 60 miles north of Montreal. Afterward the school we drove down to the city and took in the F1 Canadian GP. In all we drove about 1000 miles. Bob foolishly supplied the car, a low mileage 1993 Mercedes 500E sedan, with a rare almost Ferrari red over cream interior. The 500E was a short-lived collaboration between Porsche and Mercedes and would that they had done more. Since I knew the way, I drove from Boston to Tremblant. I loved the car on the highway but driving through the mountains in Vermont and the Laurentians was as absolute nirvana. That is the best car I have ever driven! Period. My enthusiasm wasn't lost on my companions and once they knew the way, I hardly got to drive it again. On this trip, i thought about that car and I believe that even today it would have been ideal. And I wouldn't need to share it! Incidentally Bob has one now that has been given the Hatch & Sons treatment. Check it out at: www.Hatchandsons.com

The Roads

America has some beautiful roads. I missed most of them. I was on roads designed for moving people and products efficiently. Period. The current debate in Congress about the country's infrastructure is not missed on anyone traveling across it on its interstate highways. From a visual point of view, there are notable exceptions in each state. But overall, save for the states of Nebraska, Vermont, Oregon, and Washington, which are exceptional, the remainder are at times jarring disappointments. Portions of New Mexico have stunning vistas as do Massachusetts and portions of New York. In Canada, British Columbia was exceptional. The road through the Rockies was a driver's treat. the beautiful scenery was a distraction from the beautiful road. The trip from Winnepeg to Sault Ste. Marie, though under construction for long stretches, was also memorable. These driving moments made up for much of the remainder of the ride.

Food

Having experienced interstate style driving in France, Germany, and Italy let me say that no state, other than Vermont, comes close. E.g., Italy serves alcohol in the government operated restaurants. No such respect for driver intelligence or constraint is demonstrated anywhere in North America. Though our interstates are national by design, they are state operated and thus subject to local commercial pressures. The concept of serving people by the road side is prevalent in some states. In most states travelers are obliged to access food and services from nearby towns. From a "time saver" point of view it defeats the purpose of an interstate, but, otherwise, it can be a welcome change and an interesting diversion. Generally the "Service Areas" of today are an amalgam of truck stops and 7/11 type convenience stores. I asked one store employee if they offered any fresh fruits, like bananas or apples. Her blank look was priceless. Straight faced she asked if I thought blueberry ice cream was a fruit. My suggestion. get off the road, it is amazing what you will find. and over the "long haul" as they say, it does make a difference.

Rest Areas

The designation "Rest Area" is broadly interpreted by state highway officials. Everything from a parking lot and little else to attractively landscaped parking areas with clean restrooms and information booths staffed by uniformed state employees fits the bill. Most, but not all, offer vending machines. Some have restrooms, but generally the state of the restrooms is embarrassing. Having said that, there were several gas retailers, notably stations that appeared to be independently owned, that were exceptionally clean. One was on an Indian reservation somewhere between Phoenix and the California border. Vermont is hands down the winner. Far better than anything we saw in either the remainder of the US or Canada.

My only observation is that what we should expect has become the exceptional. Sad.

The Conclusion

In coming issues I will share some thoughts about other aspects about how clothing and footwear affected the trip, what I did about entertainment, and some travel tips I learned from others who have traveled this road before.

The most memorable aspect of this trip that will remain with me forever has nothing to do with great roads or the actual trip itself. It is my memories of the people I met and some I knew and got to know better.

Early into this adventure I boldly invited people to invite me into their homes, and, surprisingly, they did! I rarely arrived on time and I usually departed sooner than could be considered polite. But their unfailing grace and generosity were the highlights of my trip. My deepest thanks to the Buchanans, the Budimlyas, the Kalenians, Ms. St. James, the Austins, and the Tennants. You are all very special.

Having said that, another significant factor that was a consistent source of amazement to me was the attention that an old Ferrari 308 unfailingly drew every time we stopped near a small or large crowd. What is it about this car, this model, this color that draws men, women, and children of all ages? Every time I stopped for fuel or to eat, people would come around and look, sometimes ask questions and if they had a camera, and most often they did, they would ask permission to take a picture.

I thought about that a lot. The conclusion I came to was that this car is primarily "familiar" because of the Magnum PI TV show. However, for most people, it is not often seen in familiar settings like a gas station or a parking lot. So, accessibility to a curiosity is a draw. Physically, it is very low. 43" with the top up and compared to many current sports cars, it is actually small. And most of the time it was dirty and, possibly, that made it less threatening. But most of all, it is very pretty! Not handsome! Not dramatic! Not stunning! ... just very pretty. And I love it for that same reason. That and the fact that, with two little exceptions, this wonderful 39 year old vehicle accompanied me flawlessly across the USA and Canada and allowed me to meet wonderful people and do wonderful things.

Bloody remarkable!pb

Click Here to see Part 1Click Here to see Part 2
]]>Off-Topic Discussions8899http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11777I was young, I was foolish, and I was lied to!http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11773&goto=newpost
Sun, 17 Sep 2017 06:47:28 GMTHello all,
I was scammed and scammed hard.
(tl:dr available at the bottom)
First, a bit of back story. It was the spring of my...Hello all,

I was scammed and scammed hard.

(tl:dr available at the bottom)

First, a bit of back story. It was the spring of my junior year in college (EE degree) and I had landed a co-op in the capital (Madison). Problem was I didn't own a car at the time. I spent a good 3 months searching the internet, trying to figure out what to buy with my four grand budget. Finally Kent at MercedesSource convinced me. I was going to get a W124 coupe.

Two weeks after I made the decision, the black coupe in the pictures I've attached showed up on Craigslist. After talking with the father and son selling the car, I drove it around the nice suburban neighborhood. I inspected the wiring harness and a few other things and it seemed fine. But, I was looking through some heavily tinted rose colored glasses. I loved the car and probably would have bought it even if a tire came off during the test drive.

And then everything was fine, for a month. The driver window stopped rolling all the way up without help, so I disassembled the doors and Lubed All Of The Things!, then the radio quit, then the taillight went out, the the blinkers stopped working, then the horn, then the center carrier barring, then noticing the thing leaked oil from half a hundred places, on and on it went.

I enjoy working on cars, and I loved this Benz, even as temperamental as it was, but it was getting ridiculous and I was having a hard time fixing the thing as fast as it was breaking down. Plus certain things weren't adding up. I re-flowed the flasher relay, but the blinkers still wouldn't work. I replaced the relay, but the flashers still wouldn't work. I finally had to go through and clean every connector between the relay and the flashers and then it worked. It had a bit too much corrosion for 110,000 miles.

Fast forward to two weeks ago and I've made the decision to get a different car. I had just landed a job as a test engineer at a defense contractor and couldn't afford to break down in the rougher neighborhoods of Milwaukee.

I found a Lexus I wanted in Milwaukee. So, my father and I headed out on Saturday to get it... and it didn't go particularly well. On the way up, my transmission started slipping when changing gears. It was refusing to hook up until the car's speed had fallen below 50 and I had used most of my extensive inventory of profanities. The problem could be somewhat solved my revving the engine to 5 grand, at which point it was slam into gear with considerable violence. Eventually I just switched into 3rd and left it there. Then the battery light came on. I pulled into a rest stop and lifted up the front passenger side to try to get a better look at the alternator. I was inundated with oil, along with most of the rest of the underside of the car. Two years of just replacing the oil that leaked out at had finally come back to bite me.

So, we limped the malicious Mercedes to a different dealership Mercedes dealership in Madison. They were very kind and charged the battery for free, unfortunate they didn't have anything in my price range. Shout out to Zimbrick Mercedes of Madison on the beltline! Fully believing the thing would completely die on the way to trade it in (I'm convinced the car new we were getting rid of it) we limped it the rest of the way to Milwaukee.

To wrap up what turned out to be a long story, we finally got there. After the test drive and deciding to by the lexus hs250h (I knew I should get a prius and this was as close as I could make myself get to owning one), we got to negotiating. I had them the title to my Benz and they come back with some really pointed questions about how long i had owned the car. Turns out, It had 300,000 miles on it! The odometer had read 223k in 2011, then 86k in 2014. God I was pissed at the former owners for lying their asses off and at myself for being a fucking idiot. They offered $500 for it. I looked out the dealership windows, into the pouring rain. I knew that my car would not make the 200 mile trip back home, so I bit my tongue and took it up the ass like a man.

I will definitely be buying a Mercedes in the future, I loved that Benz even if it was a tired example. Depending on the prices in 5 years, I think I'd like to get a 1972 SE w108. The w109 is a bit more frightening from a maintenance perspective. If not, I was love to get another w124 coupe and through a bit of money at it. Something like images below, but I would be conservative with the rims and probably couldn't afford to recreate the Hammer.

]]>Off-Topic DiscussionsGreenhttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11773Help finding correct E320C / C124 Engine harness PN on EPChttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11771&goto=newpost
Sat, 16 Sep 2017 22:25:27 GMTPos ting in ‘Off Topic Discussions’ since this is not an E500E.
Hi all – today I just acquired the following 1994...Pos tingin ‘Off Topic Discussions’ since this is not an E500E.

Hi all – today I just acquired the following 1994 E320C:

VIN – WDB1240522C170105
Engine no 104992 22 066315

The car was purchased as a non runner – due to Eco Junk issues. The PO attempted replacing the upper engine harness some years ago with an updated Delphi harness. But gave up as he came to the conclusion it was the wrong harness mid way through fitting. I bought the car and trailered it home with the intention to get it running and return it to the road :)

So now I want to determine the correct PN to source a good used one or order new from MB. I am finding it hard to understand the EPC engine break numbers for this. (Since it gives 2x different break number brackets within the same description)

I hope someone more knowledgeable on EPC can assist.

The car does have cruise control and a 4 Speed transmission. No ASR as far as I can tell in the VIN. (Again I just took the car home today – and it does not run).

]]>Off-Topic DiscussionsRicardoDhttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11753Keyring showcasehttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11735&goto=newpost
Fri, 08 Sep 2017 07:48:01 GMTThis is a thing I love to fiddle with, different contemporary keyrings for my Mercedes. I have droves of different ones, but the two I always end up...This is a thing I love to fiddle with, different contemporary keyrings for my Mercedes. I have droves of different ones, but the two I always end up are these:

"Flygtaxi" is an old Swedish company that provided taxis to and from the airports back in the days when taxis where regulated in Sweden. The company still exists, but lost its flare from the great aviation days when flying was something special. This one says "Flygtaxi" (which translates to "flight taxi") on one side, and have a MOPF1 W124 on the other side:

I finally found a car for my kid that would combine my MB grandpa mobile obsession, meet the modern safety requirements my wife was after, and with some work make it cool for my kid. The inspiration for this is Captruff's E60 AMG and the similarly cool e430 based Fake 55 that socal210 put together. Both cars were at this years (2017) Legends of the Autobahn. My kid thought those cars were super cool.

Today I purchased a 2000 E430, black on black, W210 with 117k miles for my kid. Car has consistent stealership service on the CarFax all the way through its life up to 113,000 miles. Service B is due now. Mechanically car is great shape, needs some TLC cosmetic love but that's what you get for a $3k car that was donated to Goodwill for the tax break. I think I could have got it for $2k but dummy me didn't want to lowball Goodwill.

This is really the owners log for this car to see how this all works out and whether this car turns into reliable and cool wheels for my kid, or an expensive to maintain nightmare where I wish I purchased a used Acura TL instead. I actually have not brought the car home yet. It is at my work in the underground parking garage because in its current state my wife will simply yell at me for buying a piece of junk based upon the filthy interior and exterior black paint condition that shows every friggen defect under the sun. This car was loved mechanically but not cosmetically. So I have some things to do before I bring it home to tackle the mechanical stuff and don't get chased out of my house by my darling wife for putting our first born into a pit of filth.

I am calling this car the Super Fake 55 because I am not insane enough to replace all the E55 bits socal210 did on his e430 to make his car Legends worthy just for my punk son (god bless him). I am just trying to put a smile on my entitled 16 year olds face.

*** and have kid help out with as much of the work I will do as possible ****

that's it, not going to the expense of real E55 AMG front and rear bumpers, sideskirts, interior gauge cluster, exhaust, lowering springs, and who knows what else socal210 did to make his car so cool. I am making the 16yr wannabe version which is good enough for me. Anybody here want to complain about having a Mercedes V8 black on black ride with AMG monoblock wheels when you were 16? .... silence... that's what I thought.

Right now this is a 5-10 footer car. Looks great at 8 feet and goes downhill from there as you get closer. FullSizeRender 7.jpg

No clear coat peeling but some stone chips here and there where rust *gasp* rust is on the surface where the paint chipped away.

]]>Off-Topic DiscussionsRicardoDhttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11734Superbly written article on the design of the E500Ehttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11730&goto=newpost
Wed, 06 Sep 2017 20:39:30 GMTI've read many articles on the w124 E500E, including most of those posted on this site.
This is one that was just posted that I thought was very well written and offered a new perspective ---

"The inconspicuous, discreet, delicate Mercedes-Benz 500 E (W124) is the exact opposite of the kind of motor car it helped establish."

"Among Germans of a certain ilk, striving for some form of gangsta lifestyle, Babo simply means ‘boss’. The Babo stands for everything that’s aspiration to these people: power, greed, ostentatiousness, conspicuous consumption, unashamed vulgarity. The Babo lifestyle is all about showing off, reviling social inferiors and wastefulness for the sake of it. And Babos just love fast, loud, aggressive Mercedes saloons, preferably of the variety that has undergone the Affalterbach treatment. Putting a Babo inside a 500E, the car that, in a sense, paved the way for his beloved CLS 63 AMG, would probably result in utter disinterest."

Too much of today's MB and AMG hardware seems targeted towards Babos.
]]>Off-Topic DiscussionsJlaahttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11730Why is German Engineering better that others?http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11710&goto=newpost
Sun, 03 Sep 2017 04:14:37 GMTWhy do you guys think German Engineering is better than that of other countries?
Or is it better?
The other day I looked at the ETA pancake style...Why do you guys think German Engineering is better than that of other countries?
Or is it better?
The other day I looked at the ETA pancake style connector and wondered if an over engineered connector, which eventually fails, is better than a simpler connector.
And I think there might be other questionable German Engineering questions that relate to cars-and I am not thinking about harnesses, rather other car parts.
]]>Off-Topic DiscussionsStevester 500Ehttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11710Saving Cars From Hurricane Floodshttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11709&goto=newpost
Sun, 03 Sep 2017 03:20:09 GMThttps://drivetribe.com/p/this-guy-had-the-foresight-to-save-HJuBejqdQtGkWNn1RdOGcg?iid=a9s5zFFiTpWOFGPG4wV_CQ
This is an article about saving cars...https://drivetribe.com/p/this-guy-ha...TpWOFGPG4wV_CQ
This is an article about saving cars from Hurricane Harvey.
]]>Off-Topic DiscussionsStevester 500Ehttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11709Mercedes ownership philosophy 101http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11704&goto=newpost
Fri, 01 Sep 2017 14:07:30 GMThttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOE8WTZ9Mec (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOE8WTZ9Mec)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOE8WTZ9Mec
]]>Off-Topic DiscussionsTraehttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11704http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11697&goto=newpost
Tue, 29 Aug 2017 23:05:24 GMTHi everyone .. there is 20 years anniversary coming from Diana's death.. August 31 1997..at that time i was in High school..
There is a photo minutes after crash.. smoke coming up form the car..
I remember i was feel very disappointing . i always thought that W140 its a tank.. hit a column at 65 MPH . How Mercedes couldn't save lives..? From that As far i know its was 1994 s280..
Its just unbelievable how Mercedes look like a car from junk yard.. I remember after that people star blame Mercedes for their weakness...

Engine won't crank over but all the electrics work. Interior, lights, etc. It did this once the day before when I turned the ignition as it did nothing but I thought it was just me and at a second try it turned over fine. Overnight, dead car. Starts have been immediate with no hesitation whatsoever prior to this. Here are the things I've checked:

1. Not the starter. Hitting the middle prong of the harness at the firewall by the booster with 12V while at the second indent fires the starter with no issues.
2. NSS is fairly new, reverse light comes on but same no-start condition even in Neutral. Slightly moving it up and down from N does nothing either. Bushings are fine.
3. Alarm, jumpered 1 & 2 at the larger 14pin connector at the ATA. Nada. Also engaged/disengaged locks at all three locations.
4. OVP checked out fine.
5. Battery fairly new ACDelco AGM with plenty of juice.
6. Fuel pump whirls when key turned. Relay is fine.

Any other ideas? Ignition tumbler contact? Is there anything else in the circuit I'm missing?
]]>Off-Topic Discussionskwontumspeedhttp://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11695